I'll try to finish this as quickly as I can, but, as those 4 days have put my work a bit (too much) behind, I'd suggest you subscribe to get the updates fresh out of the oven...

Edmond Dantès

07-06-2011 05:17 PM

My good king! My good king! The oracle has spoken!

GZPainter

07-07-2011 01:13 AM

Waiting for the rest ..tserts... don't make us wait.... :freaky

Ride safe mate...και παντα ορθιος....

tserts

07-07-2011 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edmond Dantès
(Post 16334264)

My good king! My good king! The oracle has spoken!

Screw that guy, he's always stoned...

Quote:

Originally Posted by GZPainter
(Post 16336642)

Waiting for the rest ..tserts... don't make us wait.... :freaky

Ride safe mate...και παντα ορθιος....

Thanks man, το καλό πράμα αργεί, αλλά βιαζόμαστε! :clap

tserts

07-07-2011 01:51 AM

After a canceled European tour in 2009 due to some unforeseen family matters, I became a new dad in November the same year. This has brought infinite joy in my life and has changed everything in it, but, as a consequence, my riding time had been reduced to day trips mostly (everyday commuting doesn't count as riding time in my book), just to get some steam off..

In this one and a half year, my "fleet" had seen some drastic changes, meaning that I sold all 3 previous bikes and had gotten a newer (I also had a '96 model, needed some repairs so I upgraded), great looking, africa twin as it made no sense maintaining all that just for commuting.I saw my "Ornela" (caponord '03) and my "Granny" (transalp '92) ride away with a new owner and had settled for the "Kleopatra" (Greek Africa Queen), which could serve as a city bike but also embark on longer trips, with some limitations on the highway. The bike had long been prepped for multi-day touring but I had yet to get her on the road for good and everyday while lane-splitting in dense traffic I would whisper to her instruments "soon my dear, soon we'll be on better roads"...

The rest of my riding gang was going through the same dry spell ride-wise, with work obligations and family burdens making a "full force" outing really difficult. The only ray of sunlight in that respect (because in every other aspect he is a PIA), was my friend Yani, Ghallas from now on to avoid confusion (we're both Yani). He had actually managed to get the whole July as a Sabbatical, he is not married, leads a teenager's life, even though his actual age is closer to mid-life, he refuses to accept it... He is always the most available and I have, on several occasions, left him stood up in ride trips, as various things tend to pop up in my life when a trip approaches. He hasn't held a grudge and surprisingly even committed to this trip even though he said that it would lead to same outcome, me calling it off at the last minute.

Well, that didn't happen so Friday morning on the 1st of July, I had a packed, ready to roll Kleopatra in my garage entrance.

The agreed strategy on this trip was simple: Take it easy, enjoy the ride, stop wherever we feel like stopping, no fixed routes, some must way-points, avoid the main roads, free camp if possible. Being just two meant that we were extra flexible and decisions were made swiftly, even by radio, without stopping. The previous night I input a specific route with two options for the end part, Ghallas decided that reaching Kaiafas would offer some safe free camping options, as he had used the spot in the past when studying in Patras. This is the route of the day, 383km along the slopes of the Peloponnesian mountains.

Yani, I start feeling lucky the fact I didn't make it to participate in that trip :rofl

Your English is barely adequate to pick up tourists at Plaka (kamaki level), have fun polishing that F800GS at your garage, make sure your drool doesn't run on your keyboard reading this, and know that you weren't missed at all... :lol3

tserts

07-07-2011 09:34 AM

Anyway, as soon as we got on to the highway I pulled up my camera (I always have it around my neck and shoot while riding) and saw the batteries flying towards the rear, somehow the lid had unlocked and out they went. I didn't have any more AAs on me so for the next hours it was just Ghallas' camera in operation...

We got off the highway the soonest possible (just after Corinth, 80km from Athens) and headed for Nemea from a secondary uphill road, it was looking good already...

The batteries must have been at the shelf for years, there is probably nothing in the village that runs on AAs, after 10 photos the camera shuts off after seconds, but at least with enough on/off they get the job done... It sure is interesting to ride scenic twisties with one hand and having to push the "on" button, then make sure the lens comes out, point and shoot... :deal

...and then to Lampeia where we grab a coffee.. The policeman at the next table turns out he's a biker as well and after passing some tips on the route ahead leaves and stealthily pays for our coffees, we never even got to thank him... The view for the kafeneio is nice...